CNN’s Michael Smerconish Hits Democrats For TSA Fiasco: ‘I Think It’s Horrible’

CNN host Michael Smerconish argued Democrats have cynically used TSA agents as “pawns” during the ongoing partial government shutdown that has led to huge security lines at airports and thousands of unpaid TSA workers calling out sick.

Smerconish said on his show on Saturday that he blames both Democratic and Republican lawmakers for the shutdown — but that if he has to pick one side to blame more, he said he leans towards the Dems.

“I do believe if you pushed me between one or the other, I would say it’s the Democrats who have marginalized the TSA agents in this instance,” Smerconish said. “And I think it’s horrible the way in which they’ve been used… as pawns.”

He said it was sickening that the government has not come up with a way to pay airport security yet.

Smerconish said they are the “people who are literally on the front line of protecting the country,” they work in a “very dank environment” and stand all day, and they do it for not “much money.” All of those reasons make it imperative that the government finds a way to start paying the TSA workers again, he said.

TSA agents start off making $34,500 per year and the average salary hovers around $55,000.

The host also gave Elon Musk some credit, a few hours after the Tesla CEO volunteered to pay for the TSA workers who are going without paychecks right now.

“Kudos to Elon Musk for being willing to write a check as well. I just think it’s soooo — it’s terrible and such a sign of our government dysfunction,” Smerconish added.

The New York Post reported thousands of TSA employees have been calling out sick each day as the partial shutdown hit stretched to Day 35 on Saturday; another 376 have quit their jobs, leaving around 50,000 TSA employees to deal with the recent madness at airports from coast-to-coast.

The Senate rejected a Department of Homeland Security funding bill for the fifth time on Friday, with The Hill reporting Democrats have “dug in their heels against any bill” that would fund ICE “without implementing reforms.”

In response, President Donald Trump on Saturday said he plans on using ICE agents to help with airport security, starting Monday.

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